Interchangeable pipe flange



June 1 1926.

F. x. STREICHER INTERCHANGEABLE PIPE FLANGE Filed Nov. 18, 1924Jaw/liar:

Patented June 1, 1926.

UNETE STATES rarsnr OFFICE.

INTERCHANGEABLE PIPE FLANGE.

Application filed November 18, 1924, Serial The difficulties connectedwith the reconnecting of two pipe ends atter 'l'racture, the

packing of a crack or the re-moimting of a pipe flange which has beentorn oil are 15 the reasons for the invention of the interchangeablepipe flange. This flange can be fixed without great diflicult-ies,without screwing on, soldering or the like at any point of a pipe inorder either to serve as substitute for a torn off flange, or to befixed at either side of a pipe fracture or crack for re-connecting ortightly packing the damaged pipe.

According to this invention the flange 1S lined on the pipe by pressingthe pipe wall, by means of clamping jaws, on a tubular comiecting piecefixed on the flange and m serted into the pipe or, when the pipe hasthick walls, the flange is directly clamped i on the pipe.

Two forms of construction of interchangeable flanges according to theinvention are illustrated, by Way of example, on the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fi s 1 2- and 3 show an end flange respectively in front elevation, sideelevation and longitudinal section.

Figs. at and 5 shown a flange which specially is designed for thepacking of frac tured or cracked pipes.

Figs, 6 and 7 show in perspective view clamping jaws of two differentforms of construction.

Re erring to Figs, l to 3 the flange con- 5 sis mainly of two parts: thetubular connecting piece w {and the spring ring 6, The tubularconnecting piece a has a flange c and further six guide grooves (Z ofclovetailed cross section extending in radial dircctions in which theangular clamping awe f (Fig. 6) are movable. The spring ring I) whichhas recesses 9 (designed to guide the clamping jaws j") and tighteningscrews 70 not connected at all with the tubular 45 connecting piece a.Only after this spring ring I) has been put on the pipe r and after thetubular connecting piece at, around which packing material is wound, hasbeen No. 750,696, and in Germany March as, 1924.

inserted into the pipe a connection of the two elements is effected bymeans of screw bolts inserted through holes 71 provided in bothelements, The clamping jaws f are then tightened by means of thetightening screws 71. In. order that the tubular connecting piece a besufliciently resistant against this pressure the passage is strengthenedby a rib-cross 70.

By means of the flanges shown in Figs. iv and 5 which are to be mountednot on the end but on any point of a pipe conduit, for instance at apoint of fracture, the tubular connecting piece a shown in Figs. 1-3 canevidently not be used. For this piece a a simple pipe Z is substitutedwhich has also a ribcross on. As there is'no flange on the pipe-piecethe clamping jaws must be guided in another manner as described above.This guiding is effected exclusively by the spring ring a of modifiedconstruction. This spring ring it possesses much greater strength thanthe spring ring b and has also guide grooves 0 extending in radialdirections and designed to guide the clamping jaws p which, as shown inFig. 7, are U-shaped and inserted from the inside. The manner of fixingthese flanges is the same as described with reference to 1 to 3.

The two flanges are first put on whereupon the pipe-piece Z is insertedand the approximate position of the flanges is determined by the screwbolts Q. The jaws p are tightened by means of the screws 8 whereupon thescrews 9 are screwed home. In this case the pipe is also clamped on thepipe-piece Z by means of the clamping jaws 7) while in the firstmentioned form of construction it is clamped on the tubular connectingpiece a. This will however be pos sible only with the pipes having thinwalls, On pipes with thicker walls the flange a may be used directly asend flange ai he flange shown in Figs. 1 to 3 may be alteredaccordingly.

The construction of the flange and of the single elements may diflerfrom the corn struction shown and above described, provided they do notdepart from the idea of the invention.

An interchangeable pipe flange consisting of a tubular connecting pieceto be inserted into the pipe, a rib-cross strengthening said tubularconnecting piece, a flange of said tubular connecting piece havingradial guide grooves, clamping jaws in said guide grooves, a spring ringhaving recesses for said cian'iping jaws, tightening screws fortightening said clamping jaws, and screws in the flange of said tuhuiarconnecting piece for connecting said spring ring with said tubularconnecting piece.

In testimony whereof I affix my si nature.

FRANZ XAVER STREICE IER.

